Addressing a growing number of permit questions, the coastal policy and rulemaking body has approved a prohibition on artificial turf within the 30-foot shoreline buffer in areas of environmental concern.
Coastal Policy
New Chafee map removes 2.5 acres in North Topsail Beach
Revised maps for the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System currently awaiting congressional approval remove only a small portion of North Topsail Beach from environmental protections that restrict federal funding that encourages development.
Corps collecting data for 20-year dredged materials plan
The Army Corps of Engineers is identifying sites and gathering data for a 20-year management plan to provide answers on where spoils from nonfederal dredge projects may be placed.
Jacksonville Adopts Derelict Vessel Ordinance
Jacksonville has become the latest coastal North Carolina municipality to adopt an ordinance to deal with abandoned and derelict vessels.
Motions Filed In Appeal Challenging CRC
An attorney for a couple suing the Coastal Resources Commission says reams of scientific studies on sea level rise and erosion are irrelevant to his clients’ property rights case.
Hyde Seeks FEMA Grants to Raise 114 Homes
Hyde County is applying for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to elevate 114 houses in Ocracoke Village, which was inundated during Hurricane Dorian in September 2019.
Audubon Challenges CBRA Sand Mining Rule
The National Audubon Society has sued Interior Secretary Bernhardt over a decision to allow federal funds to pay for mining sand from Coastal Barrier Resources Act zones.
Property Owners Score Win in Bridge Dispute
A judge has granted a judicial review to property owners near the site of a planned bridge to Harkers Island, including the Coastal Resources Commission’s vice chair, who are challenging permits for the project.
Judge Rules Duck Beach Access Is Public
A judge has ruled in favor of Outer Banks business owner Bob Hovey and his wife Tanya, who have long advocated for public beach access in Duck and who filed a lawsuit arguing that a walkway posted as “private” was in the public trust.
CRC Grants Variance On Jinks Creek Project
A divided state Coastal Resources Commission approved last week a variance for Sunset Beach to dredge portions of Jinks Creek deeper than was previously permitted.
State Extends Time For Input On New IHAs
The Division of Coastal Management has added another month for public comments on proposed redrawn inlet hazard area boundaries and associated development rules that have some beach towns concerned.
New Dare Flood Maps Misrepresent Risk
Updated flood maps for Dare County and its six towns misrepresent the flood risk for property owners, the county planning director says.
Rule Change May Threaten Coastal Areas
The recent reversal of a rule that limited where sand from federally restricted coastal zones may be placed may help towns with beach renourishment but could also put sensitive resources at risk.
State’s Inlet Hazard Plan Criticized at Hearing
Holden Beach residents and a town official objected this week to the Division of Coastal Management’s proposal to expand the designated inlet hazard area at Shallotte Inlet.
State Conditions Sunset Beach Dredge Permit
The N.C. Division of Coastal Management has issued a permit to Sunset Beach to dredge south Jinks Creek but with conditions, including limiting excavation to less than half of the requested depth.
NC’s Next Sea Level Rise Study to Eye 2100
The next update to the state’s periodic review of sea level rise science will consider projections out to 2100, not just the rolling 30-year time table the previous Coastal Resources Commission had mandated.
